I'm Always Here
by DesperateDreams
Summary: “I’m letting you go just like what you wanted for so long. Just know that I’m always here – to be your shoulder to lean on or to be a friend to help you when you’re down.” He had let her go but will she be coming back to his arms?


**I'm Always Here**

**Story Type: **One-shot songfic

**Genre: **Hurt/Comfort

**Summary: **"I'm letting you go just like what you wanted for so long. Just know that I'm always here – to be your shoulder to lean on or to be a friend to help you when you're down." He had let her go but will she be coming back to his arms?

*****

"Please help me welcome, Troy Bolton, Hollywood's hottest bachelor." The crowd cheers wildly as the TV-show host, Louise Johns, introduced me.

I was never been used to screaming crowds ever since I laid my feet on Hollywood. I have been used to a quiet surrounding that I had been so keen to go out and explore the different side of the world – the noisy and wild part of the world.

As I sat down at the chair in the middle of the stage adjacent to the host, I can't help but glance over at the audience, looking for the familiar face I had been used to seeing almost every night in my sleep. _She didn't come, _I said to myself. I finally realized that she really never cared now. I know she's happy with her life now, but I just want to say something to her before I leave.

I faked a smile. "Thank you for welcoming me."

"Thank you for coming today, Troy." Louise said with a smile. "So, is it true that you're leaving Hollywood?" Her smile faded into a frown and a saw 'aww' filled the audience.

"Yes, it is true. Actually, this will be my last appearance and performance on TV." I announced, keeping my heart in tact. If she's not here, I wish she's watching. I'm not doing it for her but I'm doing it for myself also.

"Is there a reason why you're quitting acting and singing?" She asked curiously, as if sensing that all of the viewers are asking the same question.

I chuckled, "There is. It's kind of personal, though. You know what I'm like; I'm keeping my private life private."

She nodded understandingly. "I see."

The interview went on for eight or so minutes before it break into commercial.

"So, don't go anywhere – we'll be back after the break." The assistant director announced a five-minute break for the audience to go to restrooms or the cafeteria to grab something to eat. I went backstage to talk to my friends who came with me.

"Did she call anyone of you, yet?" All I got in reply was a shake of head. I didn't care. My heart was far from broken now. This news will not affect me anymore.

"_Hello?" A sweet voice said on the other line._

"_Hey. Gabriella, do you have a minute to talk?" Chad, the curly haired, asked her._

"_I do, why?" Gabriella asked._

_Another voice rang through the phone. "Gabby, can you come here in L.A.?"_

"_Why for, Taylor? There's nothing I can do there."_

"_You don't need to do anything. All you have to do is go here and attend a show backstage."_

"_Don't tell me that Troy asked all of you to do this." Gabriella said, followed with an eye-roll._

_She heard a loud sigh on the other end. "He didn't ask us to do this, Gabby. We are the ones who want to do this. He has something to announce and it will be better if you are here."_

"_I don't know guys."_

_Muffled voices have been replied to her. "Know what, Gabby? Fine. If you don't want to go, we're not going to force you. But if you had changed your mind, call us or just come straight here in L.A." With that, they hanged up on her before she could even reply._

"Sorry Troy. We tried to call and convinced her to come here but she had refused." Sharpay, long blonde hair, fair white skinned, told me. I smiled sadly in reply.

"Don't worry about it. If she really is not coming, then, I'm okay with it." I said, with pure bravery in my voice that can't fool anyone.

Someone patted my shoulder. I look to my right and saw Zeke, Sharpay's husband, was the one who patted me. "Don't loose hope, Troy. Maybe she'll come. Think positive, man." I nodded my head and turned back to go back to the set with a new fake smile plastered on my face.

THE assistant director signed for the start of the show. "And we're back with our guest, Troy Bolton." I smiled and waved to the audience and to the camera as soon as the interview started again.

It went on for another five minutes before Louise said that I am performing before the show end. I got up from my seat and went to the other side of the studio where a small stage is built. I sat on the stool on the center and leveled the microphone stand to my level.

"Before I start, I just want to dedicate this song to the girl who I have loved the most. I will not have reached this status I have now if not for her. She's the inspiration I have and will ever have until I die. If you're listening right now, just know that I'm always here." I finished as I looked down on the ground, waiting for the start of the song I will be singing.

_The lights are now on us  
The stage surrounds us  
But it's you  
It's you I remember_

_This maybe our best gig  
The most well-attended  
But it's you  
That I wanna be with_

I looked up and eyed everyone on the audience, and then my eyes saw her. The one I wanted to see right at this moment. She's still beautiful. Just like the first time I met her.

'_Cause whenever you're not here  
There's this void I feel within  
It's you I crave  
And need_

I held her gaze as she held mine. I can see that she wants to ask me questions why she's here in L.A. when supposedly she's in Colorado for her work. I want to clear everything to her after this.

'_Cause I'm here, and you're there  
It's too much for me to bear  
So hold on, soon I'll be home_

_The times that we're apart  
Gets too familiar  
What I want  
Is to be with you_

She smiled a faint smile. I guessed she's feeling the same when we broke apart. To be with what we really want to be in life. I can still remember what she had said to me when we broke up.

"_Hey, babe." Troy tried to kiss Gabriella on the lips, but instead, he kissed her cheek. "What's wrong?" He asked in confusion as he sat kneeled in front of her._

_Gabriella took a deep breath. "I want to break up."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_I don't think it's working enough, Troy. We barely see each other anymore. If you're home, you're tired from work. If not, you're away to shoot a new film or promote your new movie or something."_

_Troy held her hand in his. "Is that all, babe? We can work it out. After all of this, we'll spend time together. I promise."_

_Gabriella laughed menacingly, "Promise? You said that millions of time over and over again, Troy. You always say that we'll spend time together when whatever you were doing is finished. When will that end? When no one wants you to be the lead on their movies? When finally no one wants to buy your albums? Newsflash Troy: you're the most sought-after star in Hollywood right now." She exclaimed, standing on her feet and walking away from Troy a few feet._

_Troy stood up and looked at the ground. "So, this is it? You're just going to give up when you finally realized what my work like is?" He looked at her, sadness visible in his eyes. "Well, thanks Gabriella. You finally opened my eyes to see that not every relationship with a celebrity ends well."_

_With that, he stormed upstairs and through their room. He opened the entire closet in his room and put out her suitcases, putting all of her things inside of it. Gabriella watched as Troy placed all of her things on the suitcase._

"_I packed your bags for you. It will be easier if I'm the one who will pack your things." He said as he placed her suitcase in front of her._

_She looked at him as he sat on the bed. She didn't thought of this to happen when she finally broke up with him. She grabbed her suitcase and looked at him for the last time before saying, "It's for the better, Troy."_

'_Cause the last song syndrome here  
Is your voice I hear so clear  
You said you'll wait  
For me_

'_Cause I'm here, and you're there  
It's too much for me to bear  
So hold on, soon I'll be home_

_I miss the way you touch my face  
I miss the way to say my name  
I miss you, oh __baby__  
I wish you're here with me_

'_Cause I'm here, and you're there  
It's too much for me to bear  
So hold on_

'_Cause I'm here, and you're there  
It's too much for me to bear  
So hold on, soon I'll be home_

Applause erupted around the studio. I didn't tore my gaze away Gabriella as Louise said the closing for the show. People started to pile out of the studio. Gabriella, too, has vanished amongst the sea of people going out of the studio.

I walk sadly to the dressing room reserved for me. My friends were there, obviously waiting for me.

"She's still here. She's waiting for you at the rooftop." Kelsi, the composer of the group, informed me. They clearly know that she was here. That she wanted to see me for the last time.

I quickly run out of the dressing room and to the rooftop. There she was, standing at the other part of the rooftop, looking at L.A.'s view. Her hair dancing with the wind that has blown. I walked towards her and cleared my throat as I stood a mere foot away from her.

"You came." I said, trying to start the conversation.

"Yeah. The guys' connivance with each other is great that I had to give in to their wishes." I could hear the smile on her voice. I can't help but smile a little.

My smile fell and I looked at the view in front of us. "Listen, about you being here is my plan. I wanted them to help me."

"Figures."

"I just wanted to say to you that I'm quitting Hollywood. That performance you saw earlier will be my last. You will never heard of my name again on television shows or see my name on movies. I have shown the world my talent; it's time that others show their own talents." I smiled as I said those words. I'm beyond happy that I'm giving others a clear pathway for them to get to their dreams. I accomplished too much being a celebrity, that fact I had known.

I know that Gabriella had turned to look at me. Reading my face if I'm really saying it to her. It's funny that every time I'm getting serious with our conversation, she always looks at me as if I'm joking or lying to her.

"But why are you quitting? You've came this far in your life. This is the life you have dreamt when we were still together." Ouch. _Together._ Can't she pick any other word aside from that?

I turned to her. "It _was_ my dream. But I realized that, not everything in life can be enjoyed when you're famous. Sometimes, all it takes is for one person to make you realize that life is worth living with what you truly dreamt of."

"This decision of yours is not about us, right?" She asked.

I smiled. "No. I'm not doing it for us. I'm doing it for me, mostly. It's about me, joining the army and forgetting that I had once become a famous star. It's about me, letting go of the most important thing that had happened in my life."

Gabriella looked at me confused, looking for any other information that might be lying beneath my eyes.

"I know there's more to this, Troy. Our friends won't talk to me to come here if there's nothing more aside from what you have said."

I took a deep breath before I started and looked at L.A.'s view of the mid-day. "I'm not going to hold you back, Gabriella. I'm going to let you go just what you wanted for so long. I'm giving you the freedom to find other guys," I looked at her to send her my messages clearly. "Just know that I'm always here – to be your shoulder to cry on or to be a friend to help you when you're down. That is a promise and I intend to keep it." I ended with a smile. I put my hand on her cheek and softly caress it. She leaned into my touch, remembering the moment we will be having for the last time.

I pulled my hand away from her face and retrieved something from my pocket. I reached out for her hand and had put the thing I have retrieved from my pocket. She slowly opened her hand to see what I have put on her hand. She gasped on what she saw.

"That is the necklace and ring that I have given you on our anniversary. I kept it when you gave it back to me. I put them together, so that it won't be hard to find."

She put it around her neck and placed her hand around the pendant and the ring. "Thank you, Troy."

I shook my head. "I should be the one who's saying 'thank you'. You have said enough thank you when we were in a relationship, now, it's my time to say thank you. So, thank you – from the bottom of my heart." I kissed her cheek and smiled. "Goodbye, Gabriella."

With that, I turned around and walked down the stairs. I didn't look back because I know she's crying and that's the last thing I want to see before I leave. It's enough for me to know that I have given her the necklace and ring. At least, that will be the only memory she'll be holding that will remind me to her.

*****

Years have passed and Gabriella has never heard of any news about Troy. He had joined the army for two years and got send off to another US-based territory to serve another year in the army. He is currently been granted a permission to go back home for two months. All of Troy's colleagues has been so close to him that they had wished him to finally found the girl who has been getting him worked up every time on their training. All he could do was smile.

Unpacking the last one of his clothes, Troy flipped his phone and smiled. Seeing the wallpaper on his phone makes his day complete. He closed it and shoved it on his jeans pocket. He needs to go somewhere special that day. This will be the first time he'll be going to that place again.

Cutting the engine of his car, Troy got out and leaned on the hood of his car. Looking at the view of the city of Los Angeles, he closed his eyes and wished that Gabriella is there to reminisce the past they had shared on this place.

"You know, I always come here to remember the past I had shared with this one guy I was madly in love with." A voice broke off the silence he was having. Looking at the person, Troy's eyes widen in surprised.

"You still go here after all of what have happened?" Troy asked as he walked up to the person.

The person smiled, "Of course I do. This guy brought me here on our first date. He was so sweet that I regret letting him go. Now, I just lost him." The smile faded as quickly as the sentence ended.

Troy smiled. "You never even lose me, Gabriella. Like I said years ago, I'm always here."

Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy, remembering the times that she had held him like that. He returned the gesture and held her in his arms like there's no tomorrow. "I love you, Troy. There's no time for the past years that I haven't thought of you."

"Me, too. My colleagues in the army tease me about you. I have told them that I had been an underdog when we were together." Troy laughed, remembering the times he had been teased by his colleagues.

She looked up at him and quickly pecked his lips. "Sorry. I just missed you so much."

"It's okay. I missed you, too. More than you know."

The two of them watched the sun set across the horizon – Troy leaning on the hood of his car and Gabriella's back pressed against his front. The beautiful color of the sun setting casting the city below them – it's the perfect way to end a reunion.

"Troy?"

"Hmm?"

Gabriella leaned her head against his chest. "The day you left, I didn't even shed a tear. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I know that you'll be back. You had said that you'll always be here and I believed in that. Now, you're here and that's the best thing that had happened in my life."

Troy smiled on her little confession and kissed the top of her head. He never thought that after all that had happened, she still believed in him. Maybe that's just how fate predicts the chances of you and your soul mate to be together – just like Troy's and Gabriella's fate.

The couple continued to watch the sun set and the start of the city lights to shine over the dark area of the land. For Troy, there's nothing more beautiful than looking down at the view in front of him with the girl in his arms. For all he knew, he will never let go of her and so does she.

------

**I honestly didn't like how it all started and ended. It just came up to my mind when I was on a trip back home. But it's your judgment I needed. Tell me what you think of the story. =]**

**--- Mae**


End file.
